Mattress-stuffing machine.



No. 655,578. Patented Aug. 7, I900. H. C.v BEHKOPF.

MATTRESS STUFFING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 11, 1899.]

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I- No. 655,578. Patented Aug. 7, I900.

H. C. BEHKOPF.

MATTRESS STUFFING MACHINE.

{Application filed Dec. 11, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheen-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 7, I900.

H. C. REHKO PF. MATTRESS STUFFING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 11, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3,

(No Model.)

Zl/vi'ruaxsaa:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY C. REHKOPF, OF TEXARKANA, TEXAS.

MATTRESS-STUFFING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,578, dated August 7, 1900.

' Application filed December 11, 1899. Serial No. 739,908. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY O. REHKOPF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Texarkana, in the county of Bowie and State of.

Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mattress-Stuffing Machin es, of which the following'is a specification.

My invention is a mattress-stuffing machine; and it consists of a bed and cover to hold the stuffing material and give it proper shape, rods to keep the stuffing material in shape while it is being inserted into the ticking, a follow-block for pushing the stuffing and rods into the ticking, with means for operating the follow-block.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a top plan view of my adjustable mattressstufiing machine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal View of Fig. l on the line X X. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the front end of the machine with the top removed. Fig. 4. is a cross-sectional view of one of the side boards of the bed of the machine. Fig. 5 is a side elevation with the top raised. Fig. 6 is a front end view with the top raised. Fig. 7 is a front end view of the machine especially designed to show the adjustable spout. Fig. 8 is an edge view of one of the slats and its front flange. Fig. 9 is a rear end view of the frame to which the follow-block is attached and of the housing in which it runs. Fig. 10 is the carriage which conveys the mattress from the spout and the track on which it runs. "Fig. 11 is an end view of beam 35, plates 37, and beam 38, in which construction is shown a dovetail slot 36.

The main frame, on which the bed rests,consists of the corner-posts 1, with end and side pieces. These pieces are framed together in any substantial way. The floor 2 of the bed is laid on and secured to this frame. The floor is provided at each end and on each side with perforations 3, each row of perforations beginning near the outer edges of the floor and running inwardly. The purpose of these rows of perforations is to regulate the width of the mattress by moving the side boards in or out to suit. I

In describing this invention I call the end to which the spout 32 is attached the front end and the other end I design ate as the rear end.

Running transversely through the upper ends of the rear posts is a perforation 4, and running through these perforations and across the rear end of the machine is a cylindrical rod 5, and on thiscylindrioal rod is pivoted eight beams. The two middle beams are some little distance apart and secured together' by cross-pieces 7. These cross-pieces are faced with a thin-plank lining 8, and so is each beam 6 faced with a thin-plank lining 8'. These thin planks are to'form a lining for the top. They extend beyond each side of said beams until their edges nearly meet, leaving enough room, however, between their edges to allow the outer beams to be moved inwardly to adjust or regulate the width of the top. Near thetop or front ends of these beams is a cross-piece 9, having extending from its lower front edge a flange 10. These cross-pieces 6 have cut in their front ends a perpendicular slot 11 (see'Fig. 3) and a horizontal slot 12 to accommodate the lower edge of this beam 9 and its flange 10. There may be only one flange 10, as shown in Fig. 5; but there may be also a rear flange, as shown in Fig. 3. The principle of operation, however, is the same. This framework just last described is the top or cover to the floor of the machine, and while the middle piece, consisting of the middle beams 6, cross-pieces 7, and lining 8, is stationary so far as lateral movement is concoined the other beams can be moved in and out by reason of one end being on the rod and the other secured to the cross-piece 9 by means of its flanges 10, their slots 11 and 12, and thus this cover canbe made to accommodate itself to a narrow or a wide bed. This cover being hinged at its rear end to the rod 5, its front end may be raised and lowered at will. (See Figs. 2, 5, and 6.)

To the rear end. of the main frame is a smaller frame 13, consisting of the side beams 14, legs 15, and track-beams 16.

Secured to the top of these side beams 14: is a cover 17 a rack-bar 19. The framework 18 consists of longitudinal and cross beams. The longitudinal beams are numbered 18, and the crossbeams are also numbered 18. (See Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 5.) This rack-bar is operated by a cog-wheel 20, mounted on a shaft 21, which is journaled in the two rear posts 1 of the framework. This shaft has on one end awheel 22, by means of which it and the cog whe'el 26 are rotated, and moves the framework 18 by means of the rack-bar 19 backward and forward. The framework 18 has on its front end a cross-beam 23, having in its front face a dovetail slot 23. To the front face of this beam 23 fits two removable beams 24, having each a dovetail flange 25, working in said dovetail slot 23', formingan adjustable follow-block that may be adjusted to the width of the mattress being formed.

On each side of the bed is a removable side board 26, having secured to its lower edge and near each end pins 27, that fit in'the perforations 3, and to the outer face of these side boards 26 and at each end are secured Lsshaped braces 27, their parallel parts fitting against the face of the bottom 2 of the bed. The office of these side pieces is to regulate the width of the mattress and to keep the spout from spreading.

Erected on the rear framework 13 is an upright frame 28, having a pulley 29 at its up per end, and over its pulley 29 works a rope 30, and to one end of this rope is secured a weight 31, the other end of said rope being secured to the forward cross-piece 7 of the hinged lid or cover. The purpose of the weight is to raise the front end of the cover until the same is in a perpendicular or nearly perpendicular position, so that the straw or other material used for filling the mattress maybe easily put in the bed and evenly distributed in the same. To the front end of the frame is secured an adjustable spout 32, the lower part of which rests on a cross-piece 33, held by two braces 34. This creates a tension on the ticking as it is filled and pushed out, as the said spout 32 rests on this beam 35, (see Figs. 6 and 7, especially 7,) provided with a slot 36, and secured to the front face of this cross-beam 35 are two plates of metal 37, their inner edges extending over the edges of the said slot 36, leaving behind them a dovetail slot. To the face of the plates of metal work two blocks 38, each having a dovetail extension fitting in the groove 36 and adapted to move to the right and to the left. To the upper faces of each of these blocks is secured an L-shaped sheet of metal 39, one edge of them extending forward, and to the upper face of the cross-beam 35 isise cured another piece of metal 40, one edge extending forward. These two blocks 38 can leaving behind them a dovetail slot 42, and

against the front face of these sheets of metal 43 work two blocks 44, having each a dovetail extension working in said dovetail slot 42, and to the lower face of each of these blocks 44 is secured an L-shaped piece of metal 45 exactly similar to the pieces 39, just described, and to the lower face of the crossbeam 41 is secured a piece of sheet metal 46, one edge of said sheet extending forward.

These blocks 44 move inwardly or outwardly,

as do the blocks 38, and thus the spout is made wide or narrow. The crossebeam 41 is not secured to the end piecesl, but is hinged to an uppercross-piece 46 by means ,of levers 47 and links 48. be so operated as to move the cross-piece 41 up or down, and thus .make the spout deep or shallow. Thus the spout assists in making the mattress wide or narrow, thick or thin, as desired.

To the front end of the frame may be a framework 49, one end resting under the crosspieoe 33 and provided with a track 50, on which may run a truck 51, and on which truck the mattress may be carried out grad- 9 These levers and links can 7 ually as it is filled and conveyed to a sewingmachineto have its open end sewed up. Such frame, however, is no part of the mattressstuffing machine and is not claimed. Used in connection with and as a part of this device are a number of slats 52, havingonone end a flange 53. The purpose of these slats is to hold the stuffing in place while it is being inserted into the ticking, and when the lid is down a cross-bar 54 has one end in.- serted under one of the crosspieces of the front end of the rectangular frame and the other in a loop secured to one of the cornerposts. This beam runs over the top of the cover and holds it down.

In operation the follow-block 23 24 is ad justed to the desired width of the mattress. The side pieces 26 are put down on the bed with their pins27 extending down through perforations 3, so that the ends of the follow block abut against the sides of the side board. Thus the bed may be made wide or narrow, and then the beams 6 are moved in or out to adjust thecover to the width of the bed thus adjusted. Then the slats 52.a sufficient numher to cover the bottom of the bed'...-are laid down on the bottom thereof with their flanges abutting against the follow-block 23 24, then the stuffing for the mattress is placed down on these slats, then one or two slats are ad.- justed to the edges of the stuffing with their flanges against the follow-block, then other slats 52 are placed over this stuffing with other flanges against the follow-block, and then the lid is let down and held securely in place by means of a cross-rod 54:. The tickin g, having been sewed up on both sides and at one end, is then put over the spout 32 until its sewed-up end comes up close against the end of the spout, and then the operator turns the wheel 22, which in turn rotates the cog-wheel 20, which moves the framework 18 and the follow-block 23 24 to the front and pushes the stuffing and the slats into the ticking. As the ticking is filled it is gradually pushed off onto the carriage 51, and when finally filled it is conveyed to the sewing-machine, the slats pulled out, and the loose end sewed up. The mattress is then tufted and completed.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In an adjustable mattress stufiing machine, a cross-beam 35, secured to the front posts 1, and having a longitudinal dovetail slot 36; blocks 38, working against the front face of said beam, and having reardovetail extensions working in said dovetail slot; L-

shaped sheets 39, one secured to the upper face of each of said blocks, one edge of each extending forward; a straight sheet 40, secured to the upper face of said beam; a beam 41, adj ustably secured between said posts 1, and above last-mentioned beam 35, and having a longitudinal dovetail slot 42 5 blocks 44, working against the front face of said beam 42; said blocks provided with rear dovetail extensions, working in said dovetail slot 42; L-shaped sheets 45, one secured to the under face of each of said blocks, one edge of each sheet extending forward; a straight sheet 46, secured to the under face of said last-mentioned beam, one edge extending forward; levers 47, fulcrumed above said last-mentioned beam 41; links 48, linking said cross- 7, 

